Enrique Allen’s Post

💡 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 1. 𝗧𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: The Adobe Creative Residency offers a dream setup for designers, providing funding and resources to bring innovative projects to life. This grant is a golden ticket for turning your boldest ideas into stunning realities. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲: The Design Trust offers grants to support groundbreaking projects that enhance community environments. This is your chance to make a tangible impact with your design expertise. 2. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮’𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲: Early investments allowed Figma to innovate and scale quickly, turning them into a leading design tool. Finding investors who share your vision can accelerate your growth just as it did for Figma. 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗯𝗻𝗯’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Early investors recognized the value of Airbnb’s user-centered design, contributing to its exponential growth. Seek out investors who appreciate and support your design-driven approach—they can be crucial allies in your journey. 3. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀.𝗴𝗼𝘃 - Dive into a treasure trove of federal grants, including those for creative and design industries. 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁 - Connect with angel investors and venture capitalists ready to support your startup. 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 - Launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for your design projects and gain visibility. #DesignFunding | #CreativeGrants | #InvestorInsight | #StartupSuccess | #FundingYourDreams |

20 design dimensions of a venture studio. Here are the entrepreneurial dimensions. How would you play the founder role? Broadly viewed the venture studio model is merely an organization that builds companies. It does this by: 1) playing an entrepreneurial and founder role creating companies, 2) bringing a team, process, and playbook getting hands on in building the company, 3) and making an investment conducting the proper due diligence and putting risk protections measures in place. These are the three aspects of a studio. Entrepreneur. Operator. Investor. This trinity is foundational to a studio. Miss an aspect and you are not one. These three factors shape a studio. From design, to how a studio gets off the ground, and the strategy it pursues. Looking through the Entrepreneurial Aspect at studio design, here are the dimensions that pop out for me: 1️⃣ Industry Focus Range: One industry to many industries Description: Defines the range of industries the studio targets. 2️⃣ Ideation Source(s) Range: Internal to External Description: Specifies whether ideas originate within the studio or from external sources - corporate partners, universities, communities, etc. 3️⃣ Organization Partners in Co-Creation Range: None, Corporations, Universities Description: Identifies potential co-creation partner organizations for building companies together. 4️⃣ Entrepreneurs to Partner With Range: No experience to successful exited founders Description: Specifies the target demographic of entrepreneurial talent. 5️⃣Build Strategy Range: Sustainable cash flow to unicorns Description: Whether aiming for sustainable cash flow or creating unicorns, this dimension defines the studio's focus on opportunities to target from low growth and low potential to massive growth and massive potential. Venture studios are not just about venture capital. 6️⃣Founder Role(s) Range: Founder, Cofounder, Late Cofounder, or Refounder Description: The clear articulation of different founder roles (Founder, Cofounder, Late Cofounder, Refounder) the studio plays is vital as it directly impacts the studio's approach to company creation and the types of opportunities it pursues. 7️⃣Geographic Focus Range: Local to International Description: Specifies whether the studio focuses on local, regional, national, or international markets. What do you think? Any dimensions to add, remove, or modify? Should any of these shift to the Operator or Investor Aspects? What would you do?

This Venture Studio Playbook Exit Plan will Help you Save Time and Money! Venture studios (aka venture builders, company builders, start-up studios) are commonly associated with a structured methodology as a key aspect of creating new startups. Although commonly building start-ups in the tech space, having a "finite" game plan for all new start-ups, which means selling out or divesting in a near future, few venture studios include to plan for exit in their playbooks. Not all venture studios have established a compliance department that takes care of all administrative duties including exit planning. That can be expensive and time consuming when getting to that stage. Having been through a number of due diligence processes when exiting my companies, one learns fast to make sure to have these things in place. Therefore, based on my own experience, I have made a list of nine folders and documents that are suggested to keep track of from day 1 to have a smooth due diligence process: 🗂️An Exit folder including registration of incorporation, updated register of shareholders, all signed board minutes, all signed contracts with suppliers, partners, and customers, tax documents and annual audit reports. ✅An HR folder including all employee contracts up to date including salary information, benefits, and waivers of IP. 🗃️Keep a document of all hardware including computers, phones, key cards, access accounts, that anyone working with the firm has access to. 📑Documentation of ownership of IP. 📝Make sure that all consultants hired have signed waivers that all IP incl. software code etc. belongs to the company. 🔓Use of open source or partner API’s must be described and separated from firm IP in agreements. ©️ Patents, freedom to operate, and trademark documentation must be up to date and archived. 📜If use of quality management systems such as ISO, archive all audit reports and reviews, including all deviation and risk documentation. 💻Any IT security documentation and penetration tests need to be updated at all times. Responsibilities for breach may last long after an acquisition if such testing and documentation have been neglected. The list can of course include many more folders and items, as firms can own warehouse inventory, real estate, considerable funds, have extensive technical documentation and run production facilities. However, most tech companies acquired when reaching an ARR of USD 5-10 million usually don’t have that. 👇 A venture studio playbook including a plan for exit will save time and money. 💡 What folders and documents would you add in your opinion? #venturestudio #venturebuilder #startupstudio #businessexit #exitplanning ________________________________ Did you like this post? Connect or Follow @john-erik hassel

20 design dimensions of a venture studio. Here are the entrepreneurial dimensions. Part 3 - How do you invest? Broadly viewed the venture studio model is merely an organization that builds companies. It does this by: 1) playing an entrepreneurial and founder role creating companies, 2) bringing a team, process, and playbook getting hands on in building the company, 3) and making an investment conducting the proper due diligence and putting risk protections measures in place. These are the three aspects of a studio. Entrepreneur. Operator. Investor. This trinity is foundational to a studio. Miss an aspect and you are not one. These three factors shape a studio. From design, to how a studio gets off the ground, and the strategy it pursues. Looking through the Investor Aspect at studio design, here are the dimensions that pop out for me: 1️⃣ Funding for Each Portfolio Company Range: $0 capital (Sweat equity) to $2M+ Description: This range from sweat equity to $2M+ sets clear financial parameters, impacting the studio's ability to attract and support diverse types of startups. 2️⃣ Exit Strategy Range: Indefinite hold to exit in defined period Description: Defining exit strategies from indefinite hold to a defined period helps align the studio's goals with those of its investors and portfolio companies. 3️⃣ Control (while in studio) Range: High to Low Description: The spectrum from total to none in terms of control over portfolio companies is vital for setting governance and operational boundaries. 4️⃣ Ownership Range: Low to High Description: Clarifying the range from low to all ownership helps in structuring deals and managing equity stakes effectively. 5️⃣ Legal Structure of Studio Range: Holding company, Traditional fund, dual entity, evergreen fund, other Description: Providing options like holding company, traditional fund, dual entity, evergreen, or other structures offers flexibility and clarity in legal and financial planning. 6️⃣ Follow-on Focus Range: None to VC Description: Specifying the follow-on investment strategy (none to VC) helps align the studio's long-term investment and growth strategies with its overall mission. What do you think? Any dimensions to add, remove, or modify? Should any of these shift to the Operator or Entrepreneur Aspects? What would you do?

"How do you get business ideas for the studio?" - this is a question I am getting asked regularly nowadays... and the answer is pretty simple. Most of our business ideas come from one of two places - my mind (dangerous, I know) or from people in my network - recently i've had a lot of people that I have worked with who want to start their own entrepreneurial journey! We evaluate fast based on the following: 1. Route to MVP  How quickly can we turn the idea to reality to have a functioning product/service 2. Framework reuse This is very important as we evaluate effort - we usually look at businesses that can take 75% of our current frameworks - we do obviously want to continue evolving, but at the same time, don't want businesses that need completely new dev and GTM effort every time 3. Market opportunity, competitors and cash generation scope  Speaks for itself, but we don't take ideas forward that can't generate cash from day one - hence, you will see our businesses are subscription or advance fee based 4. Founders potential It doesn't matter if you've never set up a business or run a business before, we only care that you see no other option than your business working out. It's a mindset, no "what if" 5. Third party validation We use third party tools to validate ideas too - we extract information such as competitors, cash requirements (approx) and overall viability based on openly available information and the use of AI The idea behind the venture studio is to ensure any given business either scales fast or fails fast. There are some great stats around the venture studio approach - especially that most startups (84%) that emerge from studios successfully raise a seed round. Moreover, 72% of these ventures progress to the series A stage, surpassing traditional ventures' 42% success rate. (Source) https://lnkd.in/dtSDGSHQ If you have a great idea that you want to bring to life - reach out, you never know what could happen. 

20 design dimensions of a venture studio. Here are the entrepreneurial dimensions. Part 2 - How do you operate? Broadly viewed the venture studio model is merely an organization that builds companies. It does this by: 1) playing an entrepreneurial and founder role creating companies, 2) bringing a team, process, and playbook getting hands on in building the company, 3) and making an investment conducting the proper due diligence and putting risk protections measures in place. These are the three aspects of a studio. Entrepreneur. Operator. Investor. This trinity is foundational to a studio. Miss an aspect and you are not one. These three factors shape a studio. From design, to how a studio gets off the ground, and the strategy it pursues. Looking through the Operator Aspect at studio design, here are the dimensions that pop out for me: 1️⃣ Pace of Company Creation Range: One to many per year Description: This dimension sets expectations for the studio's productivity and scalability, which is critical for planning and resource allocation. 2️⃣ Team Distribution Range: 100% in studio to 100% in portfolio companies Description: Clarifying whether the team is 100% in the studio or distributed among portfolio companies helps define operational workflows and support structures. 3️⃣ Operations Support Range: One operational aspect to all operational aspects Description: This range from one operational aspect to all operational aspects is crucial in setting the level of hands-on involvement the studio will have in its portfolio companies. 4️⃣ Support Time Range: 6 months to 2 years Description: Defining support duration from 6 months to 2 years helps in planning the lifecycle of company creation and maturation within the studio. 5️⃣ Customer Focus Range: B2C to B2B Description: B2C to B2B differentiation helps identify target markets and tailor business development strategies accordingly. 6️⃣ Business Model Focus Range: Direct sales, platform, recurring, market place, license, franchise Description: Whether the studio focuses on a single business model or many informs its versatility and adaptability to different market conditions. 7️⃣ Technology Focus Range: Single to many Description: A single to many technology focus helps define the studio's technological depth and breadth, influencing the types of ventures it can effectively support. 8️⃣ Ecosystem Integration Range: Low to High Description: The level of integration with external innovation ecosystems, including the startup ecosystem, industry partners, education. What do you think? Any dimensions to add, remove, or modify? Should any of these shift to the Operator or Investor Aspects? What would you do?

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Struggling to design a standout portfolio for your startup? Here's what you need to know… As a portfolio designer, I love helping established businesses showcase their best work. But for startups, the strategy changes entirely. Here's why designing a startup portfolio can be a unique challenge: • Limited Track Record: Startups are young, often lacking the extensive project history of larger companies. How do you effectively demonstrate potential with a smaller pool of work? • Rapid Evolution: The startup world moves fast. A portfolio needs to reflect not just past achievements, but also the agility and innovation that define a startup. • Confidentiality Concerns: NDAs and unfinished projects can make it tricky to showcase the full scope of your work. So, how do we overcome these hurdles? Well, here are some tips: ✨Focus on Process: Instead of just finished products, showcase your design thinking process. Sketches, wireframes, and user research can tell a compelling story about your problem-solving skills. ✨Metrics Matter: Did your project result in increased user engagement or revenue growth? Highlight these quantifiable achievements to demonstrate impact. ✨Embrace Storytelling: Use case studies to paint a picture of the challenges you faced and the solutions you implemented. What are your thoughts, fellow designers? What challenges have you faced when designing startup portfolios? #portfolio #portfoliodesign #petsonalstory

tl;dr: Read our latest blog post - People Trees - on why the growth in people, not wealth, is the enduring legacy of successful startups. --- By now you've probably heard about the Canva share sale that was completed last weekend. At $2.4B worth of shares sold it is by any measure, local or global, huge. In our latest blog post "People Trees" (3 minute read), 25Fifteen partner Kim Heras explores why he believes the people Canva (and other fast-growing startups) develop will have a far larger impact on the economy than the wealth the company is generating now and in subsequent years as it moves to IPO. https://lnkd.in/g5FXJZxN

Are you ready for the venture studio revolution? As part of a PhD project I am researching venture studios (venture builders, company builders, start-up studios or start-up factories), which are gaining traction as a worldwide phenomenon as we speak. More than 700 venture studios are launched to date. But I believe we are just witnessing the starting point. One way of describing a venture studio is by its characteristic of initiation new firms, co-founding these new ventures in collaboration with individual entrepreneurs. Another way is to look at venture studios as “expert venture developers” using a core team of specialists automating the process and taking advantage of the synergies and accumulated knowledge on how to create multiple tech firms in parallel. Venture capital firms will need to consider buying agencies to get access to common stock, Incubators have to start acting more of co-founders, Accelerators will have to offer longer term residencies. It all leads to the venture studio model. 💡What is the reason for a venture building revolution you might ask? Because of tech cost. We are now at the tipping point between old and new (see image). Soon, new is the only way forward. Venture studios are the core of producing the new. This will give venture studios a tremendous competitive advantage. 👇 If you are interested in what’s going on in venture studios? Then I wish to draw attention to the comprehensive whitepaper called "Redesigning Entrepreneurship" by Farhad Alessandro Mohammadi, Matthew Burris, and Manuela Maiocco, see comments for link. What are your thoughts on the future of venture studios? #venturebuilders #venturestudios #startupstudios #research _____________________ Did you like this post? Connect or Follow @john-erik hassel